It's no secret that all auto manufactures are looking to
boost the fuel efficiency of their vehicles thanks to looming
CAFE requirements. Companies are looking at a wide variety of options from
diesels to hybrids to fully electric vehicles to downsized gasoline engines
with turbochargers.

However, according to Ford
Inside News, Ford is looking to boost the city fuel economy of the next
generation Fusion Hybrid to as high as 48 mpg. That would put it within
striking distance of the eccentric Toyota
Prius, which is rated at 51 mpg in the city. There's no word on how much
the highway fuel economy will increase, but we'd guess that an even 40 mpg
isn't out of reach.

Ford should be able to hit these fuel economy targets thanks
to a new lithium-ion battery pack which will replace the existing nickel-metal
hydride (NiMH) unit. The lithium-ion battery pack should be lighter and more
compact, which should help keep overall weight down and reclaim some cargo
space (the current Fusion Hybrid has a mere 11.8 cu ft of trunk space compared
to 16.5 cu ft for its non-hybrid counterpart).

The next generation Fusion is expected to be unveiled at the
2012 Detroit Auto Show and will go on sale shortly thereafter. The 2013 Fusion
will be a unifying design as it will replace both the North American Fusion and
the Mondeo which is sold in
Europe.

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I rented one a few weeks back, for the whole week, and after a day or so, it just felt like driving any other car. You just have to remember to take the key with you when you get out - I was paranoid about that. I have to say, overall it was fun to drive.